The Impact of Contemplative Practices on Anxiety Level of Middle School Students

Abstract

A review of recent literature has revealed that the anxiety level of middle school students continues to rise. In addition, it has been documented that when anxiety is untreated, it will often lead to significant and crippling disorders throughout adulthood. Contemplative practices, or practices aimed to bring a non-judgmental awareness of one’s internal and external experience, are being used across disciplines, professions, and cultures with the intention of relaxation, and bringing oneself to a more tranquil state. Although data collection presents a challenge, resent studies have shown that there is a positive correlation between the use of contemplative practices and the level of relaxation and ease one may experience. Even though this new wave of practice and treatment has become increasingly popular, research concerning the impact of contemplative practices on middle school age children is limited. The current study focused on the impact of contemplative practices on the anxiety level of middle school students in a large suburban middle school in Western, New York. In this study, three participants were exposed to three forms of contemplative practice and were given a pre and posttest to determine if there was a shift in anxiety level pre and post practice. The results showed that there were no significant changes in the anxiety level of any of the participants throughout the study. The primary researcher noted that although the instrument did not reflect change, participants did report positive feedback of their experience. Results suggested that this form of study may be better represented using a different instrument or choosing a qualitative study. The results of this study are being provided to the school that provided participants so that they may use the data to plan future student interventions.